Ladybird is an international standard preschool and kindergarten open to children of any nationality. Learning through play, discovery, interaction and inquiry we prepare children aged 1½ - 6 years for national, international or national plus school.

Our curriculum is carefully designed around developmentally appropriate activities to meet your child’s social, emotional, physical and intellectual needs and we introduce young children to the English language using effective methodologies based on the latest research in the fields of early childhood education, linguistics and EFL / ESL.

We welcome children from both English and non-English speaking families.

Kurikulum

How do children learn at Ladybird?

At Ladybird we believe that children learn best from hands-on, practical experience which allows them to explore, experiment and interact in a relaxed, nurturing environment.

children develop into independent, self-motivated learners

Our holistic, developmentally appropriate ‘play and learn’ preschool programs ensure that children are stimulated and challenged in all areas of development and exposed to the English language through a carefully designed thematic curriculum and meaningful activities

a balance between individual, small group and whole group activities

Interaction and enquiry are an integral part of our programs and children are encouraged and guided in becoming active participants in the learning process.

classes characterised by conversation and co-operation

Well-trained, caring staff guide children in their activities offering support and encouragement and our high teacher/pupil ratio allows for close interaction and enables teachers to respond to a wide range of abilities and learning styles

maximum group size of 15-18 children with 3 teaching staff

At Ladybird we recognise each child’s individual learning style and develop strengths and needs accordingly. We aspire to work in partnership with parents to achieve positive and meaningful development throughout early childhood and ensure that children are fully equipped to face the challenges they will go on to meet in elementary school

The Importance of Play

In our preschool children learn and develop holistically through a play-based approach to the curriculum.

Play makes a powerful contribution to all aspects of young children’s development by allowing them to learn in a variety of ways. Teachers plan a wide range of activities and experiences which allow children to listen and observe, to talk, to explore, investigate and experiment and to draw and test their conclusions and learn about the world around them. They develop interests and try out different ways of learning. Their social and emotional skills develop as they play with others and develop their relationships with adults and other children in the centre.

Through play, children learn to make choices and take responsibility for their actions and behaviour with teachers planning, observing, supporting and extending children as they carry out their activities. Outdoor play is a daily activity requiring children to use their gross motor skills, which not only improves their physical health but also enhances their mental and emotional well-being.

Language Policy

Preschool

During all group activities, routines and transitions English is used. Teachers also address children in English during free play activities indoors and out.

For children who do not yet speak English fluently staff will at times address them in Bahasa Indonesia (or another 1st language) in order to establish a closer relationship, which is very important at this stage in their development.

It is normal that children continue to use their mother tongue together in free play situations. During free activities staff respond to or repeat children’s comments in English, but do not force children to speak English if they are not ready. Once children reach the Right Start class they often begin to use English more spontaneously

For children who speak English as a first language we believe that if they are also able to learn some Bahasa Indonesia during their time at preschool this will be a positive experience for them and will enrich their experience of life in Indonesia.

We encourage parents to continue using their mother tongue with their child. It is not necessary to start speaking to your child in English now unless you have already been doing so since birth, although it is fine to try to teach your son/daughter some English vocabulary (through songs and games) if you wish to do so.

Kindergarten

The kindergarten operates a bilingual language policy, where both English and Bahasa Indonesia are used as media of instruction. English is however the dominant language with a ratio of approximately 80/20%

We operate a policy of language separation, whereby teachers and children should use Bahasa Indonesia during the Bahasa class and English only for the rest of the morning. We do not encourage the mixing of languages during lessons.

Mandarin is considered a third or foreign language and is taught as an extra-curricular subject.

Please note that due to the emphasis on active participation and the exploration of topics in depth, children entering the kindergarten are required to have adequate prior exposure to English. We regret that only children from our Right Start program (or from another English medium pre-school), or children who use English as a home language can be admitted into the Kindergarten program

Partnership with Parents

It is our aim that children, staff and parents work together to build a solid foundation in all areas of development, thus enabling children to make a smooth transition to kindergarten and to a life-time of learning.

We welcome parents to the school at any time to discuss their child’s progress or to address any other matters. In addition we communicate regularly with parents in the following ways:

informal conversation at drop-off and pick-up times

telephone call to parents (as necessary)

‘good news’ notes

school notice board

monthly class newsletter

parent teacher conference

communication book (Kindergarten only)

Program & Prestasi

Preschool

First Steps – 1 ½ - 2 ½ years

sessions held twice a week for 1½ hours

provides an informal introduction to preschool, the main focus being on fun activities alongside other children of a similar age

each session incorporates a range of activities - outdoor play, art and craft, sand and water, play-doh and other sensorial materials, plus a carefully chosen selection of high quality books, games, puzzles, table-top and ride-along toys

children move freely between activities under the supervision of their own caregiver and the guidance of Leaders

children are encouraged to come together for circle time, where together with their care-giver they participate in action songs, finger rhymes, movement and dancing activities

a few minutes are spent looking at books and pictures together and playing simple games to promote understanding and development of English

children eat a snack together before home-time

swimming activity once a month

Each group is limited to approximately 15 participants, each of whom will be accompanied by one adult. We appreciate that many parents will be working, therefore children may be accompanied by their nanny or baby-sitter. Please note however that we cannot allow children to be accompanied by both a baby-sitter and a parent

Hands On - 2½ - 3 ½ years

designed for children who have attended First Steps or for children attending preschool for the first time

children may attend 2x weekly accompanied by a parent or other caregiver OR children may 3x weekly program unaccompanied

slightly more structured than First Steps and takes into account children’s increasing physical skills and gradually increasing concentration span

children participate in self-selected activities and small and large group activities

challenges all areas of development and includes activities such as art and craft, sand and water play, music and movement, simple cookery and food preparation, circle time for language reinforcement, indoor and outdoor play, group snack time, etc.

activities which practice new skills such as scissor work, easel painting, colouring and shading are gradually introduced

additional focus on socio-emotional and character development: importance of nurturing independence, self-confidence and social skills such as sharing and turn-taking.

(Hands On is designed as a program which children will attend 3 days a week, unaccompanied by their parent or baby-sitter. However we recognise that for many children of this age the process of separation is a stressful experience and for this reason we also provide a transitional program which children may attend twice weekly, accompanied, up to the age of 3 years.)

Right Start - 3½ to 4½ years

gradually prepares children for kindergarten and consolidates their English language skills

emphasis remains on 'learning through play'

art projects and activities allow for further development of creative expression. They are prepared taking the needs of the individual child into account and become more challenging in terms of skills they require

simple cookery and food preparation

simple science projects and experiments

classroom circle time helps to reinforce language development around a particular theme or topic

singing and story-time are continued as daily activities

pre-reading and writing skills are introduced and children are encouraged when they display an interest in letters and numbers

during this year children begin to form closer friendships with their peers and much more co-operative, imaginative play is seen

swimming is offered once a month, and twice for children attending the 5-day program

5-day program also includes computer centre where children work either individually or in pairs through a series of carefully selected and graded software

Kindergarten - 4 ½ - 6 ½ years

During the kindergarten years we build on the skills and attitudes children have developed in preschool and introduce new language and concepts in a stimulating and challenging environment.

Although English is still the dominant medium of instruction children also have one lesson each day in Bahasa Indonesia. This dual-language program is an ideal preparation for either National/National Plus or International schools.

Our content- language integrated curriculum aims to develop fluency in English while at the same time exploring concepts and ideas in areas such as maths, science, art and literature. Teachers carefully scaffold children’s language and learning through both group and individual activities.

In KG2 we adopt an inquiry based ‘project approach’ to learning, with children exploring topics in depth, thus further stimulating their curiosity about the world around them. Teachers encourage creative thinking and emphasise the need for children to develop responsibility for their own learning.

In the kindergarten we use an eclectic variety of approaches to develop early literacy skills, and our extensive maths program ensures that children have a solid foundation in these essential areas of development

We recognise that the development of literacy skills are crucial to a child’s later success at school. In KG1 the focus of the daily lesson in Bahasa Indonesia is a structured, interactive reading program, whilst English literacy is initially developed through a broader ‘whole language’ approach to reading and writing. Beginning by producing picture dictionaries and writing simple shopping lists in KG1, children progress to writing their own journals and creating books as part of their projects by the end of KG2.

Field Trips

Field trips are an integral part of the kindergarten program. Teachers survey each venue before visiting for the first time to assess for safety and suitability. On return to school teachers prepare an album or journal for children to take home and review the field trip with their parents.